Set-top boxes used in direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems are designed to provide broadcasting of multiple television channels to service subscribers within the footprint of the DBS satellite transponder coverage. DBS systems typically provide only a one way high bandwidth delivery system and do not provide for a return path via the satellite to the DBS service provider. The need to establish the return path between the set-top box and the DBS server has been recognized.
One solution is to provide a dial up modem to enable the set-up box to establish a dial up connection with the DBS service provider via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). For example, a set-top box provided by EchoStar of 9601 South Meridian Blvd., Englewood, Colo. 80112 USA comprises a 2400 baud dial-up modem.
There are, however, several downsides associated with this approach. Firstly, the set-top box having a dial up modem requires a connection to the PSTN. Traditionally, this is done by connecting the set-top box to a PSTN wall jack (usually in the form of an RJ11 phone jack) within the subscribers' premises, which requires relative proximity of the set-top box to an RJ11 jack or extensive extension cables that may be considered a nuisance by some subscribers. Another more critical problem arises from the very nature of the dial-up modems—in order to connect to the server, the modem within the set-top box needs to dial out to one of the modems coupled to the server and, therefore, occupy the telephone line. If someone in the subscriber's household is using the phone for some other reason (ex. voice conversation, other data connection through another dial-up modem or the like) the set-top box is not able to establish the connection with the server.
There is another problem with using a dial-up modem to establish a connection with the server from the DBS service provider perspective. Namely, for certain activities, such as submitting of votes, authorization of pay-per-view movies, authorizing a game download, submitting highest game scores to the server (i.e. events collectively known in the art as “micro-billing events”) the user must key in their request for the micro-billing event into their set-top box and the set-top box needs to transmit the request to the server. In general, dial-up modems establish a connection on demand (rather than keeping it always-on or near always-on, due in part to the requirement to occupy the subscriber's telephone line and in part due to the requirement of having a sufficiently large modem pool on the server side) and may take up to a minute to establish a dial up session with the modem associated with the DBS provider's server. Therefore, there is a certain period of time between the subscriber submitting the request and the set-top box transmitting the request to the DBS server and obtaining a response. Since most of the micro-billing events are based on an impulse decision by the subscriber (commonly referred to as “impulse purchases”), the subscriber may change his/her mind while waiting for the set-top box to establish communication with the DBS server and transmit the request; and cancel the request. This may result in lost sales and, thus, lost revenues for the DBS service provider.
Furthermore, due to security reasons, the modem inside the set-top box is not configured to accept calls; and as such, the DBS service provider is not able to initiate a dial up session, thus limiting the DBS service provider's ability to enhance the service offerings.
Set-top boxes are relatively expensive devices and quite often installation of set-top boxes is subsidised by the DBS providers. It will be appreciated that there are numerous “legacy” set-top boxes (i.e. set-top box having a dial-up model) installed in subscriber premises. In order to provide a commercially viable solution to enable the “legacy” set-top box to be connected via an IP based connection, it should be economical and cost effective.